The present invention relates to dental hygiene, and more particularly to the cleaning of teeth in humans and other animals. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a cleaning solution and a device for irrigating human or other animal teeth with fresh cleaning solution and simultaneously suctioning off spent cleaning solution.
The practice of oral hygiene in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health care and the like has always been a rather vague and ill defined procedure. Some people in such institutions are, of course, able to care for themselves by using conventional tooth brushes and commercially available oral hygiene products such as toothpaste, mouth washes, and the like. However, others both in and out of such institutions are largely or totally dependent on others. For example, people suffering from arthritis, stroke victims, and other medically compromised people, may find it difficult to hold and manipulate a tooth brush while other more severely ill people, such as senile or comatose patients, simply cannot maintain their own oral hygiene programs.
Those people who find it difficult to hold and manipulate a conventional tooth brush are very often ineffective when it comes to accomplishing adequate oral hygiene. Similarly, those attempting to help the people who are unable to help themselves, such as the staff personnel of a hospital or nursing home, or the family of such a person, are not trained in the techniques needed for administering proper oral hygiene to others. And, it is very awkward, messy, and otherwise difficult for untrained medical or lay people to help others with the needed oral hygiene. As a result, very often even in medical institutions, the practice of oral hygiene is inadequate and in some cases, non-existent.
Thus, what is needed is a portable device for cleaning human or other animal teeth, that can be easily utilized by untrained medical personnel in a variety of settings, including in health care facilities, rest homes, or residences.
In addition to the needs for a device that can be used for cleaning teeth, there is a need for a dental hygiene material that is suitable for use with such device. Unfortunately, the relatively thick cleaning pastes that are commonly available for dental hygiene are difficult for some people in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health care to apply. Furthermore, such pastes are difficult for such people to expel after having performed oral hygiene. Thus, a dental hygiene material that is in a liquid form that can be easily and automatically irrigated into a person's mouth and simultaneously suctioned away, while still providing for plaque and debris removal, and for breath freshening, would be advantageous.
The present invention advantageously addresses the above and other needs.